Patagonia Tag

The outdoor apparel and equipment brand Patagonia aims to create a more diverse workforce. In order to recruit and retain people of color in ways that are authentic and in keeping with its culture the company has forged a relationship with a nonprofit based in Atlanta that helps underrepresented children, teens and young adults become stewards of the environment. The Greening Youth Foundation (GYF) provides cultural resources and guidance to assist aspiring students, many of whom are African-American or Hispanic, in becoming knowledgeable of the natural systems that...

Stand Up Paddle Boarding was the last thing I could do before I had both my hips replaced. After more than a decade of chronic pain due to osteoarthritis I made periodic shifts in what was once a very active lifestyle. Opting for one new activity after another, each more low-impact than the last I finally had a decision to make. When I lost my spot on the summit team for Expedition Denali, the first group of black climbers to attempt an ascent of the highest peak in...

I haven’t cast a fly rod in several years. Back then I didn’t have much luck. That is to say I had plenty, all bad. Casting lines with my friend and master fisherman Craig Amacker on the Wisconsin River I spent more time untangling my hooks from low hanging branches than actually tempting trout. With all the best equipment and under the instruction of a talented angler I had to assume that any failure I experienced that day was all due to my own lack of skill and expertise. Fishing was...

The day before Thanksgiving I was in the supermarket with a cart full of groceries in preparation for the season’s first of feasts. I have to admit it. I absolutely love pulling together the fixings for all manner of treats both sweet and savory. My wife Shamane plans on making her recently perfected lemon meringue pie and I’m stoked to build my annual batch of spicy pork tamales. The ingredients for these wonderful things we love to prepare and share with friends and family are among the few...